The Havok Journal

The Voice of the Veteran Community

Sean Parnell

Get In The Damn Robot: What Veterans Can Learn from Neon Genesis Evangelion

Get In The Damn Robot: What Veterans Can Learn from Neon Genesis Evangelion by Kevin Wilson I can’t sleep. That’s not exactly unusual, coming off a deployment. What with the drastic changes to both time zones and lifestyles, it’s no small wonder that circadian rhythms tend to go visit with their distant relatives, leaving one to contemplate their existence while browsing … [Read more...]

Suicides In The Family: Let’s Talk…No Joke

Suicides In The Family: Let's Talk...No Joke By Rob Cook Hey friends, let's get serious for a moment. Five-and-a half years ago my brother killed himself. On the third anniversary of his death, my 19-year-old son, Robbie, killed himself. We were not aware how much my brother's death troubled him, because Robbie held it all in. My son, Austin, turned to alcohol to numb the … [Read more...]

Meditations of an Army Ranger: We Should Not Look at Death as a Reward

Meditations of an Army Ranger: We should not look at death as a reward – But our thought of death should remind us of our lives. “Only the dead have seen the end of war” Attributed to both Plato and Santayana – made famous in Blackhawk Down.   The quote, a favorite among Soldiers and stoics alike, illustrates the hopelessness of the human condition in … [Read more...]

5 Ways to Heal PTSD and Save Money At The Same Time

I am not a doctor. I am a guy who is looking for an answer. Each of the following has worked for me greatly. Maybe they can work for you. I urge you to do more research, if you’re still skeptical. If you aren’t sure if we can learn how to hack PTSD and TBI, neither am I. For the last four years, I’ve kept alert for clues that could help. I strive to find things that are both … [Read more...]

Fatherhood: What Ranger Regiment Taught Me

Fatherhood: What Ranger Regiment Taught Me by Kevin Newhard Fatherhood is a chance to mold this Nation as well as the world. People often look to athletes or famous people to be the heroes for there kids. My opinion? That is the place of both parents and it is an  important role that a father should take up. I learned this from my time in Regiment. As the Ranger … [Read more...]

Parenting With PTSD: A Veteran Looks At Father’s Day

  We’ve all been there. We know the cadence of trained killers running to the beat of one heart. We’ve all heard the incessant pounding of soles against pavement at a rate of double time. The flashes of greatness that glimmer through our mind’s eye as our lungs burn and we sing to keep pace. Remember it goes something  like this, “I Wanna be an Airborne Ranger…live a … [Read more...]

Father’s Day: Don’t Forget to Snuggle Your Kids

We were sitting in church as a family like we do every Sunday. My wife and four kids all sat in the pew looking forward to listening to our priest. Then, my six-year-old son sat on my lap and my eyes began to water. My son is my cuddle bug. My oldest daughter, she is 8, used to be, but that died off once we had twins, four years ago. And yet, when my son sat on my lap during … [Read more...]

Shedding The Shame Of The “Dependa”

Shedding The Shame Of The "Dependa" By Liesel Kershul Editor's Note:  This article first appeared in the War Horse on 29 Aug 2018 and is reposted here in accordance with their terms of service. The black-and-white shapes on my phone formed letters, and their sequence, I knew, formed words, but, for several moments, my mind refused to make sense of them. If … [Read more...]

Before You Kill Yourself, Read This

You’re thinking about it. Ending your life. Stopping the pain. Doing it because you think it’s best for those around you. You’re tired of your shit being the cause of other people’s pain. Tired of fighting demons. Tired of… just tired. If you are in imminent risk of ending your life, please call 911 or the National Suicide hotline at 1-800-273-8255.  Every night, every … [Read more...]